Knight Progenitor

by Sharon L Reddy

  Chapter Six

  Data entered his quarters and was surprised to see the Doctor down on one knee in front of Gwen. He suddenly realized he was hearing a superb rendering of Cyrano's speech to Roxanne. He had been studying the play and he stopped to listen. He was impressed. All the Doctors spoke well and this one and the one working in sickbay had shown an inclination to quote classic human literature. Data wondered again why all the Doctors shared the captain's accent.

  Gwen was watching the Doctor, giving him her total attention. She continued to watch him as he turned, rose, and said, "Ah, Data, time to get to work. I've been preparing some preliminary calculations based on the early results of the shuttle expedition. I believe part of our solution is a pulsed proton stream."

  The Doctor began to pace the room. Data listened carefully. The Doctor seemed to think best while moving. "The pulse must be integrated with the telepathic bursts. We are going to need a very large parabolic antenna with the capacity to handle both functions."

  Gwen said, "Maybe we could adapt the main deflector dish. It can handle a lot of power, but it'll take work outside the ship."

  The Doctor stopped and looked thoughtful. "Well, we shall see." He took four long, brisk, strides to the central work station, flipped his coattails up, seated himself, and began working.

  Data took his station and Gwen hurried to hers. They both knew the Doctor's tendency to loud-voiced impatience if they weren't prepared for any incoming information he sent to their stations. He said, "Ah, they appear to have been very busy in engineering. I have all I need to complete the pulse timing, content, and power requirements." The Doctor began to work rapidly. Data and Gwen 'bent' to their tasks. All were aware time was running out.

  The Doctor left the bridge and headed for Ten Forward. When he arrived, he found Guinan waiting for him. They walked to the windows and stood looking out. Neither spoke. The Doctor and Guinan turned toward the door. A short time later the Doctor arrived from sickbay. He crossed to them and all three turned toward the dissolution area, now visible to the naked eye.

  Guinan took one of each Doctor's hands in hers as they faced the danger that threatened their universes. A few moments passed then Guinan released the Doctors' hands. The tall Doctor turned and left.

  The Doctor reached out and took Guinan's hand again. He raised it to his lips, gently kissed her fingertips, then released it. He turned and left Ten Forward.

  Guinan gazed out at the stars. No word had been spoken.

  The Doctor walked into sickbay. Deanna and Beverly were waiting for him. He said, "We now know the content of the original message. Let's see if engineering has any information on the frequency."

  He seated himself at Beverly's desk and began calling up the information engineering had put into the system. Quite soon thereafter he stopped working, looked up at them, smiled and said, "It seems the close call the shuttle had has been a stroke of good fortune, ladies. An analysis of the molecular structure of the partially dissolved antenna has given us critical information. Here are the names of the three people who will join me in donning our 'helms of thought'."

  Beverly Crusher looked over the Doctor's shoulder and said, "Deanna, it's you, Lt. Selar and, of all people, Lt. Barclay."

  The Doctor smiled. "Vulcan logic, Betazoid empathy, a human engineer with a vivid imagination, and I shall be the power coordinating our efforts."

  "Doctor," Deanna had felt something, almost amusement, coming from him. "you said you know the original message. What was it?"

  The Doctor smiled. "Would you believe, "I'm going to eat you up."? Now, all we have to do is convince it that it's full." Deanna and Beverly began to laugh. He stood and put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Let's go to Ten Forward. I'm in the mood for a chocolate sundae. After all, if I'm going to tell it it's full, I need to be convincing." He guided the two giggling women toward the door.

  The Doctor looked up from the central engineering console as Geordi rounded the corner. "We've got all the pieces, Geordi. It's time to put this puzzle together."

  Geordi looked at the information display. "Doctor, we can do all this, but I'm not sure we can do it in time. The exterior modifications are going to take several hours and our calculations indicate we need to modify about fifty photon torpedoes. I've got enough people for both jobs, but it's going to be close. There aren't going to be enough of us left to construct the telepathic feedback modulator."

  The Doctor smiled. "I've an idea about that. Why don't you get your people started on these other tasks and then I'll show you what I have in mind?"

  Geordi tapped his communicator and said, "Engineering senior staff members, report to the central console."

  Lt. Barclay was looking for his commander. He'd been instructed to eat a good meal and report to sickbay. He wanted to report on the progress they'd made on the dish and torpedo modifications. He entered the central console area and nearly tripped over the mass of wires strung across the floor. He followed the wires back to the open door of the Doctor's TARDIS and called out, "Commander?".

  "In here, Reg." Barclay stepped through the door. He stopped and stared about in open-mouthed wonder. Geordi grinned up at him. "Yeah, it hit me that way too." Lt. Barclay looked down at his commander seated cross-legged on the floor. He had a lap full of wires and a splicer in his hands. A short distance away, the Doctor's legs were sticking out from under some kind of console in the center of the room. "The Doctor's promised me a tour, but he won't tell me how it's done. What's up, Reg?" Lt. Barclay gave his report on the progress made and his message from sickbay. Geordi said, "We're going to make it, Reg. The Doctor and I have about finished wiring up his TARDIS to the Enterprise systems."

  The Doctor leaned his head out from underneath the console and said, "As soon as we finish connecting her telepathic circuits into the system, I'll tell the TARDIS what we need and she'll do the rest."

  Lt. Barclay said, "Uh, yes, well, I'd better go find myself some dinner. They're expecting me in sickbay."

  Geordi grinned. "Good luck, Reg. It sounds like everything is going to be ready in time. Thanks, you've done a good job."

  Lt. Barclay looked around once more. "Thank you, Sir. I'd better get going." He turned and left the TARDIS, his curiosity and imagination working in overdrive.

  Beverly adjusted Deanna's helmet, then checked all four monitor units. The Doctor's voice rose from the biobed where his long form reclined. "All right people, we're ready. As soon as we get the word, we'll begin. Lt. Selar, you must be fully convinced of the illogicality of phenomena being hungry. Deanna, you must feel replete, sated, even overstuffed, if you will. Reg, you must imagine all the physical properties of the phenomena ceasing to exist. I will take your contributions and meld them in to one, balanced, tri-part, thought. I will use Lt. Selar's power and add my own to project that thought. Now, this is the hard part, we must be patient until our efforts are called for. Doctor, monitor the others closely, but I suggest you ignore the readings on this bed. They will be somewhat unusual. I assure you, they will not indicate I am in danger."

  Beverly Crusher wondered how much stranger the readings could get. The monitor rising above the Doctor's head was already showing the most unusual readings she had ever seen. She willed herself to relax and prepared for the difficult wait ahead.

  Data looked up from ops at the small Doctor who had just laid a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, Doctor?"

  "Data, I want you to integrate these calculations into your preparations."

  Data looked at the small piece of paper the Doctor was holding out, then said, "But, Doctor these calculations will create--"

  The Doctor silenced him with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. "Yes, Data, I know."

  "Sir, they are based on theory beyond the current level of human understanding."

  The Doctor smiled gently. "I know, Data. This is my gift to Guinan. After this is over, you
must erase all record of this from the Enterprise computer, leaving no trace of what has been done. I remember the promise I extracted from you and I know you are capable of keeping it." With those words the Doctor placed the small page in his pocket and walked away.

  Data turned to his station and began implementing the Doctor's request, setting safeguards to keep the dangerous information from reaching any of the others currently working on the project.

  The Doctor had accepted Geordi's offer of a communicator, even though he had assured him he would not need it. Geordi told him to consider it a souvenir and had been pleased when the smiling Doctor had attached it to his coat, just beneath the stalk of celery he always wore on his lapel.

  Geordi glanced at the TARDIS' open door and tapped his communicator. "We're ready out here, Doctor." He smiled as the Doctor replied through his communicator, "I'm ready, Geordi." Geordi said, "Bridge, Engineering standing by."

  Lt. Worf looked around the bridge. The Doctor in the brightly colored coat was at the science station. He was at the bridge engineering station and the small Doctor was at his customary station at tactical and weapons. Worf walked over to him and said, "Doctor, the photon bursts must be very precise. You have not operated this system before. Would it not be wise if I were to launch them?"

  The Doctor looked up at him and smiled. "Mr. Worf, I will be controlling all three parts of our endeavor from this station. You are needed to monitor the engineering station in case some fault develops. As to the aiming of the photon torpedoes, I've already told you, I never miss."

  Worf looked hard at the Doctor, who had turned back to the tactical display. He returned to the engineering station and prepared himself to do his appointed duty to the best of his ability. It was probably just as well he missed the fond smile the Doctor wore as he watched him cross the bridge. From his station at ops, Data said, "Captain, all stations report ready for countdown."

  Captain Picard adjusted his position in the command chair and gave a small characteristic tug to his tunic. He looked at his first officer and Riker held up a pair of crossed fingers. He called out, "All stations on my mark. Five. Four. Three. Two. One... " Thus began nineteen and a half of the tensest minutes anyone on the Enterprise had ever experienced.

  They completed the task with two and a half minutes to spare.

  The mood in Ten Forward was absolutely festive. Captain Picard thought to himself that every station on the Enterprise must be manned by its most junior staff, and a skeleton crew at that. The seventh Doctor walked over to him and said, "Captain, we have successfully ended the mergence of our two universes. There is no way to bring back the lost lives or the solar systems that were absorbed; however, we have opened the isolation cubicle in sickbay and the Parker's still have three healthy children. Both of our universes will always have a large empty area to remind us of the danger of tampering with reality. The loss of life in my universe will have been much greater. I'm afraid a massive Sontaran fleet is no longer in existence. The Rutans and Sontarans will be back to near equal strength and their interminable war will go on."

  "Doctor, without your assistance, we would have never succeeded. Thank you."

  The Doctor tapped his chin with his umbrella handle. "Captain, there is now a doorway, a tunnel if you will, between our universes. It is completely stable and poses no threat to either."

  "Doctor, if this 'doorway' is a navigational hazard... "

  "Oh no, Captain. It is really quite small and, unless its coordinates are known, almost impossible to enter."

  "Just how large is this "quite small" hole, Doctor?"

  The Doctor smiled at the captain and with what could only be called a twinkle in his eye said, "Oh, just about the size of my TARDIS." The captain found himself laughing as the Doctor tipped his hat and walked away.

  Geordi watched the Doctor leave Ten Forward and said with a sigh, "You know, Commander, I'm really going to miss him. That's one guy I'll never forget."

  "Geordi," He turned to see who had spoken. The small Doctor stood at his side. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his hand to display a communicator laying on his open palm. "I shall never forget you either."

  Geordi watched the Doctor walk away, then turned to see Riker grinning at him. "Geordi, let me buy you a drink. You look like you could use one."

  Geordi nodded and said, "Yeah."

  Data watched as the Doctor left him and walked towards Gwen. He carefully placed his memories of the Doctor in the same storage area where he kept those of Tasha Yar and her sister Isharra. As he did, he saw the seventh persona of the Doctor approaching. "Doctor." The Doctor smiled at him and held out his hand. In his palm lay a tiny circuit. "Open your arm, Data."

  Data opened the panel in his left forearm and watched as the Doctor quickly connected the tiny device to his neural microprocessors. As he reclosed his arm, he gave the Doctor a questioning look. "It is a one way communicator tuned to my specific telepathic wavelength. To activate it, you merely think 'Doctor' and reach out toward this region of space. I trust you to call only if you think I'm desperately needed. You and I share something none of these others will ever know. We have lives that stretch down the long years toward eternity. I promise I shall come when you call. No matter how many of those years have passed."

  The Doctor walked away and Data looked down at his arm, knowing he now had one friend he would never lose to the passage of time.

  The Doctor said, "I seldom say good-bye, but I could not leave without bidding you ladies 'Adieu'." He smiled at Deanna and Beverly.

  They both returned his smile, said, "Good-bye, Doctor." and reached out a hand. Both were surprised when he took one in each of his and kissed one then the other. He then turned and walked away. Beverly sighed and said, "Absolutely perfect."

  Deanna nodded and said, "Absolutely." They looked at each other and smiled.

  The Doctor walked over to where Gwen was sitting alone in a corner. He sat down and smiled at her. She started to speak, but he stopped her with a touch. He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then reached out and touched her hair. He then gently tapped the end of her nose with one finger, stood, and quickly walked away.

  Gwen watched him leaving, then stood and started after him. As soon as she got past the doors to Ten Forward, she began to run. The turbolift ride seemed to take forever. She ran into Data's quarters yelling, "Doctor! Doctor, wait!" She stopped, the sound of the departing TARDIS filling her ears. She collapsed on the couch and began to cry. Gwen sensed someone near her and sat up, frantically wiping her eyes and stifling her sniffles. As she did, the small Doctor sat down beside her. He took her hand and gave her a gentle smile.

  "I knew he was going to leave. Had to leave. I tricked him. He was wonderful and I tricked him. I even took a sample of his blood."

  The Doctor said, "Ah, the chipped glass." As Gwen began to cry again, he brushed a tear from her cheek and pulled her toward him. He laid her head on his shoulder and gently stroked her hair.

  She sobbed out, "I tricked him and now I'll never see him again."

  The Doctor continued to stroke her hair and said, "Ah, but my Fair Lady Guinevere, you already have. You already have."

  Gwen pulled back and looked at him, suddenly realizing what he meant. He took both her hands and said, "Gwen, being tricked by you is one of my most cherished memories. To me, this all happened over fifty years ago, but I too remember it as if it were yesterday." He released one of her hands and reached out and touched her hair. He laid her other hand in her lap, stood and looked down at her for a few seconds. He smiled his gentle smile once more, then turned, walked across Data's quarters and out the door.

  Worf was standing in the command area when the Doctor came on the bridge. He had been left in command while the others had gone to celebrate. He didn't mind. The celebration going on in Ten Forward vas not his idea of fun.

  He watched the Doctor come into the comma
nd area and stop in front of him. He said, "Doctor."

  The small man looked up at him and said, "Mr. Worf, we have met the enemy and he is ours."

  Worf's expression was the one his crewmates had learned was one of pleasure. "Yes, Doctor. He is ours."

  The Doctor suddenly smiled and said, "Don't tell the others, but this adventure has been my idea of fun." With that, he turned and walked away.

  Worf watched as he crossed the bridge and entered his TARDIS. As the sound of the departing TARDIS filled the bridge, he said, "Yes, Doctor, it has been 'fun'."